s HVAC system technologies advance and software automates a reduce the flow to reduce operating costs.

ting costs. This is especially attrac-

A lot of the traditional cognitive work previously performed manu-
ally by experienced system design experts, it’s wise to stand back and
tive with radiant panel design, where the heat exchange is passive
and has no operating cost at all (but it does affect the capital cost
take a holistic view of the system, to ensure “best engineering practice” based on physical size and form of the unit).
is not over-looked.
Regardless of system design, whether active or passive heat ex-
Traditionally, HVAC heating systems were based on constant volume change, one thing still holds true, HVAC systems perform better
primary circuits connected directly to large cast iron radiators with in- when designed to ASHRAE guidelines.
dependent temperature regulating valves.
continued on page 52
Up to 100 per cent excess system flow
was bypassed from boiler discharge to
supply, depending on the load at any Pipe Size ½” ¾” 1” 1 ¼” 1 ½” 2”
given moment. Energy was cheap and
fluid flowrate had very little impact on Min GPM 1.6 3.2 5.5 8.2 11.4 19.8
system operating cost.
Max GPM 3.2 6.5 10.9 16.3 22.9 39.6
In time, HVAC design experts learned
– often by trial and error – what
flowrates worked well for various application ASHRAE Recommends…
conditions. For type M copper pipe up to 2”, ASHRAE recommends that fluid flowrates for nominal
pipe sizes correspond to a flow velocity between two and four feet per second.

GO WITH THE
by Rod Brandon

(ASHRAE) Rod Brandon is a technical marketing specialist

with S.A. Armstrong Limited, a global supplier of

FLOW!
HVAC and fluid flow equipment and solutions for
residential, commercial and industrial applica-
tions. He can be reached at
rbrandon@armlink.com.

Today the environment has changed, ecologi-

cally as well as technologically. We now have
energy-efficient variable volume pumping
and terminal units ranging from high-flow
water source heat pumps to very-low-flow
radiant ceiling panels.

For any hydronic system terminal unit,

whether heating or cooling, the amount of
heat transfer is directly proportional to the
fluid flowrate and rate of heat exchange with
the surrounding air. Increasing fluid flow to
increase the heat exchange rate takes energy
and costs money, so one might be tempted to

50 WHAT Supplement 08.09

ASHRAE Flow
When the design flows are within
Continued from page 50 ASHRAE guidelines, the flow stream car-
ries entrained air and dirt to central auto-
matic extraction equipment that helps the
system run efficiently and trouble-free.
Manufacturers in the HVAC in-
dustry usually comply with these
recommendations as a basis of
design for the various system
components they produce.

But what happens if a terminal

unit manufacturer bases design
on a fluid flowrate outside of
these guidelines to take advan-
tage of the heat exchange char-
acteristics of a particular model?
In theory, the terminal unit may
work quite well, at least initially.
However, ASHRAE guidelines
for flow velocity are intended to
ensure that the system operates
at optimum performance. Flow
velocity also affects the ability to
transport air and dirt to central
extraction equipment, the
amount of noise generated
within the system, and the rate
of corrosion and erosion of sys-
tem components.
CBV on page 53
If the design flow is reduced to the extent
that flow velocity is below two feet per sec-
ond, entrained air will rise against fluid flow
in vertical sections, causing total air in the
system to increase. Additionally, solids that
are supposed to be carried by the flow
stream to the dirt extractor will fall out of
suspension and plug system components.
Conversely, when design flow is increased
above four feet per second, excessive fluid
velocity may result in unacceptable noise
levels being transmitted from system piping
and components. This may also accelerate
flow-induced erosion of system compo-
nents, thereby reducing the life expectancy
of the system and increasing maintenance
costs.

52 WHAT Supplement 08.09


CBVs & Low Flowrates
Low flowrates can present an interesting dilemma for cir-
cuit balancing valves.
When these valves are line-sized and design flowrates are
within ASHRAE guidelines, the aperture between valve
disc and seat is optimal for a typical pressure drop across
the valve (one to three feet).
However, without provision for low-flow applications,
standard flowrate valves have to be throttled down to the
point where the aperture is virtually closed. In operation,
this small gap can cause the valve to partially or com-
pletely plug very early in system life, sometimes even be-
fore the owner takes possession. Additionally, as a standard
flow variable orifice valve is throttled, flow measurement
accuracy worsens to as much as plus or minus 15 per cent
deviation. Even more alarming is that as the valve is re-
stricted by dirt accumulation, even though the flowrate is
reduced, the pressure drop increases. Using the published
valve Cv causes the flow measurement accuracy to worsen
to the point where a very high flowrate can be measured,
despite the valve being completely plugged and no
flowrate actually being present.
Avoid the Air
Excess entrained air in hydronic fluid:
1. Creates unnecessary noise, even at low flowrates.
2. Reduces the output of the emitter.
3. Contributes to excessive corrosion of ferrous system
components.
4. Increases the concentration of iron oxide particles within the
hydronic fluid, and the risk of plugging.
5. Leads to overall reduced life expectancy of the entire system.
Therefore, for low-flow applications, a circuit balancing valve
should have a smaller disc to allow dirt in the low velocity fluid
flow stream to easily pass. Additionally if the valve incorporates a
fixed orifice flow measurement element, the valve will accurately
report a dirt restriction, thereby assisting system troubleshooting.
In the photo, both valves are for 1/2” nominal pipe size. The valve
disc/stem assembly on the left is for standard flow within
ASHRAE guidelines. The assembly on the right is designed
specifically for low flow applications still using 1/2” pipe. The
smaller disc diameter increases the disc/seat gap, thereby reduc-
ing the risk of being plugged with dirt in the hydronic fluid.
When defining terminal unit flowrates within an HVAC system,
if the design software only considers the impact of the flowrate
on the theoretical terminal unit performance, the designer must
intervene to consider how the selected flowrate will affect the
whole system. Should design flowrates outside of ASHRAE
guidelines be chosen, care should be taken to specify system com-
ponents that are well suited to the resultant operating conditions,
which may be outside the optimal range for standard products.
WHAT Supplement 08.09 53